14 November 2023
As part of our series of events marking the 20th anniversary of the repeal of Section 28 in England and Wales, we collaborated with the University of Exeter’s LGBTQ Society and the Campus Cinema Society with a screening of Blue Jean. This screening was followed by a live Q&A with Professor Catherine Lee MBE.
Blue Jean takes place during a time when Section 28, a law prohibiting the ‘promotion of homosexuality’ in schools, was in effect. The story follows a young lesbian P.E. teacher named Jean, who is struggling to deal with the effects of this new legislation on how she lives her life. The arrival of a new student makes her life even more difficult. Professor Catherine Lee MBE spent over twenty years as a teacher during Section 28, and her experiences & diaries during this time inspired the making of this film. She received an MBE for her services to equality in education, and she is now a Professor of Inclusive Education at Anglia Ruskin University